December 8, 2024
This is a computer-generated transcription that has been included to make the homily searchable. It has not been verified by the author.
“In the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea. Herod was Tetrarch of Galilee and his brother, Philip Tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis and Lysanias was Tetrarch of Abilene during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas.” That’s an inspiring message, isn’t it, to hear all that? Why does the gospel tell us all that, all these details, historical details? One thing it’s showing us is that this is not a legend. That’s not a myth. It’s not a fairy tale. It’s happening because what Luke is doing here is using the way they did it that time to give very precise dating, so people know exactly when it happened by referencing it to who was governor, and so forth. And so he’s telling us that this, again, is not just some misty legend and once upon a time, but it happened. And it doesn’t say once upon a time. He says exactly when it happened. And so it’s, happening in our real world, this real world that we’re in. And he’s referencing all these, you know, government figures. And so he’s referencing those very messy, very often very corrupt world of politics and government and the rulers. And so it’s in that real and real situation in the real world that we’re living in that then he says, “The Word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah in the desert.” So you have this great contrast between all the world, all that’s going on in the world, and who are the rulers of the world, and who are the chief priests. And then suddenly the Word of God is sent to John, who for many years has been living in the desert. And now his suddenly, his mission completely changes from being alone in the desert. Now he’s sent to preach, and he says, “a voice of one crying out.” So this is from the prophet Isaiah, “a voice of one crying out in the desert, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his path, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” And so John is saying that this prophecy, which was given many, many hundreds of years earlier, now it’s being fulfilled. Suddenly, it’s being fulfilled that there he’s saying on the part of God, that this prophecy that they knew very well. Now this is the time, right now, for that prophecy will be fulfilled. And so that they’re witnessing this great moment of grace that the Messiah, who for many years has been hidden, and now He’s just about to be revealed, to be manifested. And Jesus would have been living very quietly as a carpenter at Nazareth. Now He’s about to be manifested for that short time, for those three years of His public life. And so this, he’s, John, is preparing them, because now this is a time of great opportunity. But they need to be ready to take advantage of this opportunity, because this opportunity is also going to be a time of personal decision, an hour of decision, where they’re going to have to make a choice. And the choice will not be so easy, because Luke begins, he doesn’t just, Luke doesn’t just say who are the governors, but he also says who were the, he says, “during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas.” And so they are in charge of the high priesthood, and they, in the whole temple, most of the temple structure, the authorities will be opposed to what is about to happen. And so that personal decision that people are going to have to make, they’re going to have to make it despite what the high priests say. And so they’re going to need a heart with simple faith. And so the Lord, what is this saying to us today, in this advent of 2024? God is preparing us, and has been for quite some time, and especially, especially it was, I think, in about, I think, 1831. Especially with the apparition of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, that began an increasingly intense series of these great Marian apparitions. Like Lourdes and Fatima are some of the best known, but there’s been many others. And then other great prophetic voices, like St Faustina. And you know, we’ve been believing that we’ve been receiving messages here. But one of the things that struck us even more since we’ve published the messages is so many people come to us saying that they had been receiving similar messages. Like, God has been preparing many people and kind of, and this is truly we could say, like a grassroots effort. It’s not, it’s not coming from the structure, but it’s coming from the Holy Spirit all over the place, is giving people these graces. And so the Lord is preparing us. And so this time of Advent corresponds to what is happening right now in our world, the Lord preparing His people for what is coming. And so that’s been a common topic that we’ve been coming back to for these past couple of Sundays. And the reason we’ve been doing that is because it coincides very much with the messages that the Lord’s been giving us to publish. God is preparing His people because remember when Jesus comes, some people, like some of the disciples of John, like John, who becomes John the Evangelist and Andrew, they were already disciples of John the Baptist. So their hearts were very ready to welcome Jesus. And there were other people, of course, who weren’t ready and who missed that opportunity. And so God is preparing us now also to take advantage of and to fulfill our mission during these times that are coming. And so I want to today. I wanted to go back to the message that we published not long ago in October, about the hour of decision. So this was the message given October 24 and I won’t read the whole message, but just some parts of it, because if these messages truly are from God, which we believe they are, it’s an extraordinary grace that He’s giving us. So we shouldn’t take it for granted, because the time is short, we need to take advantage of these graces. And so He says, “this is the hour of decision, children,” this is the hour of decision. “Whoever rejects My words, rejects the necessary help in order for you to live My will in these times and in this never before seen battle. I gather you now in My army. I call you to it from every corner of the world and from any situation that you are in. Come children take your places by My side. You do not know what you are facing in fullness. But I do, and this is why I speak, I call, I invite. I am coming children and with Me My light and what was promised for these times will be fulfilled. Consider My life, My incarnation, My birth, My death and My resurrection.” And here, Sister added a footnote. She said, “Only those who were truly attentive were able to see the greatness of these moments of Jesus life, the mysteries that were unfolding before them. The multitude saw and heard, but they did not understand. Only a few understood. So it is now, the Father is showing His plan, but few recognize it as such.” So many aren’t recognizing the signs that God is giving. So that was the footnote. The message continues, “be attentive to My voice that speaks to you and guides you in the depths of your being. Lay your head on My heart and listen to My words, as My John did at the Last Supper, where I communicated to him My love, but also the reality of what was taking place in those moments, Judas betrayal in plain sight, but still veiled from the rest of My apostles. Look with Me at what is now unfolding before you, what you are living and what will soon be unleashed over you. It’s not a simple passing storm, such as the ones that took place in the past, but rather a tempest never before seen, in which everything will be affected and demolished. Enter into the refuge of the heart of My mother, that is none other than the refuge of simple faith. Children, you do not have to face rains and wind, but rather reasonings, feelings, confusions and attacks on your faith. The solution is not in the past that you long for, nor in the present that you think you control and understand, nor in the future that you so limitedly imagine. I and only I am the solution. This is why I tell you children to set aside you’re thinking and willing and unite yourselves to and take refuge in My heart, in My person. They will try to convince you with words similar to Mine, with signs that imitate Mine, with reasoning so subtle and humanly sublime that even the most learned will be deceived. Set aside your emotions, so changing and so vulnerable, they will try to manipulate you, and they already have with calls to your emotions, trying, in this way, to make you fall into a distortion of My truth. Look only at Me and do not be afraid. Everything is in My hands. Children, do you see how simple faith is your shield? I repeat to you, the machinations and reasonings of our enemy are subtle and humanly sublime. Do not enter into dialog with them. Look at Me and repeat My name. I give you the refuge and the instructions that you need to take refuge from the storm that is unleashing over you, over the world and over My Church.” So this message is again reminding us that this is the hour of decision and that He is. He says, “whoever rejects My words is rejecting the necessary help.” He’s giving us a special help right now to help us in these times that we’re facing. He says that we don’t know. Nobody knows besides Him, what is truly coming. He’s the only one who knows that, and so He’s the one we need to guide us. And so He asked us to be like St John at the Last Supper, laying our head on His heart, in which He both communicated His love, but also the reality of the treason of Judas. So both the love that He reveals in the messages are that’s one thing that, for me, is so helpful. The messages are so full of love and mercy, but they’re also speaking realistically about the treason that is going on at the highest levels of the Church. And He says that this is not the story. The Church has had a lot of storms in its history. But He says this is not just one of those storms that will just pass, and things will continue. He says this is a tempest which has never before seen and which everything will be affected and demolished. And so he’s telling us what to do, and it’s not a complicated thing. And He says, enter, as our Blessed Mother has said so often, into the refuge of her heart. But here He gives a special light to understand, for me, this was very helpful to understand what that means, entering into her heart, He said, into the refuge of simple faith. That is, it’s by – we don’t have to do a lot of complicated things – it’s by, you know, there’s a lot of, as I said before, there’s a lot of millionaires trying to spend a lot of money, trying to prepare for all sorts of things. But what He’s calling us to do doesn’t take a lot of money. It’s an act of simple faith. And He says the solution is not in the past. It’s not, we’re not going to be going back to something in the past. He says that you long for, it’s not in the present that you think you control and understand, or it’s not in the future that He says that you so limitedly imagine that is. Our ideas of the future are very, very limited. And it’s truly in His heart. And so faith is the because the devil will try to both manipulate our feelings, our emotions, which he’s very good at, and it’ll also confuse us by reasonings. And so He needs, the Lord needs to, and that’s one of the reasons that sometimes the Lord permits things to be so hard, because He needs to teach us to be, not controlled by our emotions, like just I’ll give you an example. I mean, just coming out to Church on a day like today, it would have been a lot comfier to stay home, stay in a nice, warm house, and not come all the way out here on a cold, gray day. But by doing that, you’re getting stronger, because you’re not letting yourself be controlled by just feelings and emotions, but you’re doing what you believe God is calling you to do. And also the danger of our reasonings, those who are very confident and their reasonings, that’s very easy for the devil to manipulate them. He is the great master reasoner, and he has an extraordinary intelligence, and so he can manipulate our reasoning very easily. So that’s why He calls us to simple, humble, trusting faith. That’s what we need in these times. And so I’ll just conclude with the conclusion of that message. “Army of mine, your captain blesses you. Do not be afraid. Your God does not abandon you. Be at peace.” As I’m reading these if you want, you can close your eyes. “Be at peace. If I have called you to My army, it is because I will also give you the grace to remain in it. Be at peace, your Jesus loves you. Say with Me, Father, may Your will be done. Into your hands, I commend my spirit. I love you. My mother blesses you as well. Be attentive children. The voice of our Lord rises up to gives light and correction and consolation to His children. Blessed is the one who receives His voice and allows it to produce the fruit for which it was sent. I am coming soon. Amen.
KEYWORDS / PHRASES:
Luke 3:1-6
Isaiah 40:3-4
